Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount www.dakotacountytribune.com
SPECIAL SECTION
and the surrounding areas February 25, 2016 • Volume 130 • Number 51
Council expected to consider bond referendum Rosemount city staff working to finalize proposal before Wednesday, March 2 by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Exceptional Businesswomen Inside select editions of Sun Thisweek and the Dakota County Tribune are copies of the Exceptional Businesswomen special section. The section is also posted at SunThisweek.com/tag/EB.
The Rosemount City Council at its Wednesday meeting is likely to consider approval of a measure that would have the city seeking a bond referendum that could fund improvements in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. A list of items that could be included in the scope has been reviewed by council members and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission in recent weeks after the city conducted several meetings with potential user
groups over the past year. Two options show an estimated $14 million to $15 million in total project costs, but the final scope of items included in a referendum have not been set. City Administrator Dwight Johnson said officials had met with the city attorney on Tuesday as they were working to finalize the item for consideration. City staff has pared the list of possible projects after eliminating several proposed improvements to Flint Hills Fields and UMore Park Fields and determining that building a new sheet of ice at a new
location would be cheaper than adding one at the Rosemount Community Center and Armory location where the current ice arena is. According to a staff report, placing a new sheet of ice at another location is estimated to be about $4 million cheaper than placing it at the Community Center, which staff said would present additional building and renovation costs. Among the items that could be included in the referendum and the estimated costs that were reviewed at the Feb. 22 Parks and Recreation Commis-
sion meeting are: • A new sheet of ice, $8.49 million. • Four playfields, parking and driveway at Flint Hills Fields, $2.69 million. • Two fields, parking and lights at UMore Park Fields, $1.79 million. • A plaza that would be used for ice skating and natural play area at Central Park, $1.08 million. When asked if the city had surveyed the tax tolerance of Rosemount residents, Johnson said the city has conducted surveys that asked about the interest in adding specific facilities but not questions related to a bond referendum.
He said summit meetings with the Rosemount Area Hockey Association, Rosemount Area Athletic Association and REV Soccer have resulted in sending the general message that there is a shortage of outdoor and indoor facilities. Johnson said that led the City Council to placing consideration of a bond referendum to pay for Parks and Recreation Department improvements among its 2016 goals. Email Tad Johnson at tad.johnson@ecm-inc.com. Follow him on Twitter @ editorTJ.
OPINION Transportation needs attention
Minnesota caucuses planned March 1
The first priority for state surplus funds should be to address transportation needs throughout the state. Page 4A
Super Tuesday will help shape the presidential candidate field
THISWEEKEND
by Seth Rowe SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Chorale hosts ‘Cabaret’ event The South Metro Chorale will present its annual “Cabaret� and silent auction March 5-6 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Page 17A
SPORTS Area gymnasts y high at state Rosemount’s Josie Schlie 28th all-around; Farmington’s Amanda Davenport 12th allaround. Page 10A
Madison Holtze, performing during a Rosemount High School marching band contest, was named the Instrumental Music Student of the Year for 2014 at Rosemount High School. (File photo)
Immersed in music ‘7Days’ a week Rosemount graduate returns to town with a cappella group
by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Rosemount High School graduate Madison Holtze is coming back to Rosemount with a few of her friends on Saturday night. It’s not a rare visit for Holtze, who didn’t stray too far from home as a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, but her crew is a group of accomplished singers ready to entertain as 7Days A Cappella at 7:30 p.m. at the Rosemount Steeple Center. “I love the people in 7Days,� Holtze said. “It is cool to be a group of people who have a genuine love of singing.� 7Days performs in the same vein as popular a cappella groups such as Tonic Sol Fa and Straight No Chaser, but differ in that it is com-
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A Public Notices . . . . . . 12A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 13A Announcements . . . . 16A
News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2019 Classified Advertising 952-392-6862 Delivery 763-712-3544
See 7DAYS, 7A
See CAUCUS, 11A
Fourth candidate seeking Republican endorsement SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A
The group, which includes only one other music major like Holtze, practices two times a week for two hours. She said those kinds of diverse musical backgrounds means that Holtze is teaching in an atmosphere that is somewhat intense. “If it was any more intense, I don’t think it would be a fun student group,� she said. Though the group has directors, each person contributes to an arrangement and brings ideas without having to think about “theory and technicality.� She said 7Days serves as a outlet for not having to be immersed in classical music all the time. Holtze is taking music theory, history and vocal classes.
Lakeville’s Priore makes run for Senate District 58 by Laura Adelmann
INDEX
prised of both men and women. That allows the group a dynamic range as it covers such artists as ’80s one-hit wonder A-ha, indie rock band Bastille, Spanish artist Nika and pop legend Stevie Wonder. Those familiar with the 2012 and 2015 “Pitch Perfectâ€? movies will recognize the kinds of arrangements 7Days offers, combining vocal instrumentation such as beat box. Holtze is a vocal performance major, who one year after being selected for the group among about 100 who auditioned, is a music coordinator this year charged with making the audition selections. “I had no idea I would be chosen,â€? she said. “Absolutely not did I think I would get it. ‌ I was really hoping I’d make it.â€?
Minnesotans will help determine who becomes the nominees for president of the United States on Super Tuesday, March 1. Precinct caucuses for the Republican Party and DFL Party, which is aligned with the national Democratic Party, will begin 7 p.m. at sites throughout the state. The chairs of each party said they are expecting a large turnout. DFL Party Chair Ken Martin, of Eagan, advised people caucusing for the party to register at their local caucuses at 6:30 p.m. while Keith Downey, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, is encouraging people to arrive by 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. to ensure time to register and find seats. Caucuses entail the election of local party officers and the proposal of resolutions for the party platform, but the first order of business will be the presidential preference ballot. This year, the results will be binding for both parties, meaning that the delegates selected must
A Lakeville tax attorney is seeking the Republican nomination to succeed the retiring Dave Thompson as senator in District 58. Mark Priore, 43, said he is running for the Senate seat to help reduce the size and scope of government. A U.S. Navy veteran, Priore said he is concerned with the overall direction of government after years of witnessing how government actions, regulations
and taxes negatively affect working people. “ M y interest is protecting Mark Priore the interest of this community and to build on the leadership that Dave has established,� Priore said. He said he supports limiting government spending and focusing resources on core government services while reducing taxes where possible. Priore said he opposes
the Democrats and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s push for state sales tax and 16cent gas tax increases. “With a $1.2 billion surplus, I think certainly there’s some room to move,� Priore said. He cited support for the Republican transportation plan that raises $7 billion over the next decade for roads and bridges without raising taxes. Priore said business property tax relief is also needed, and advocated for Minnesota’s estate tax level to be the same as the federal tax level.
He also called for changing or repealing some regulations that give power to various governmental agencies that have the full force and effect of the law. “Whether or not you know they exist, it doesn’t matter,� Priore said. “There are tons of regulations out there that people don’t even know about, and the point is to get the Legislature to start looking at those regulations to see where the delegating authority can be reigned in.� Priore said the Metro-
politan Council has been given too much authority and he supports representatives being elected or appointed by member units of government, and not appointed by the governor. “(The Met Council is) branching off into areas which the delegation has never authorized or intended,� Priore said. “I think there’s work that needs to be done there in changing government regulations to kind of harness the Met Council in and See 58, 6A
$ / " a Â?eĂ“ 0̞žnĂ? Až¡ -Ă?¨ƒĂ?Až Z /Â?eÂ?ÂŁÂƒ nÓÓ¨£Ó Â?Ă?Ă?ÂŒeAĂś -AĂ?Ă?Â?nĂ“ Z AĂ?Ă?n˜ /A[Â?ÂŁÂƒĂ™Â ÂŽ Ă™:0 Ažn ˜Â?ÂŁÂ?[Ă“ -AĂ“Ă?ĂŚĂ?n I ¨þÓĂ?A˜˜ ¨AĂ?eÂ?ÂŁÂƒ Z -ĂŚQ˜Â?[ 2Ă?AÂ?˜ /Â?eÂ?ÂŁÂƒ QĂś ¡¡Ă?½ I !ĂŚ[ÂŒ !¨Ă?nz
A fee is charged at some locations to cover distribution costs.
Ă˜~ÂŻÂ˝Ă¤Ă¤Ă˜Â˝Ă¤ĂźĂ¤Ă— Z ôôô½ÓÌ££ÜÓÂ?enĂ“Ă?AQ˜nÓ½¨Ă?ƒ &
!""'! !
$
¨[AĂ?ne Â?ÂŁ QnAĂŚĂ?Â?|ĂŚÂ˜ /¨Ónž¨Ì£Ă?b !" ¨£ Ă—~ Ă?¨˜˜Â?ÂŁÂƒ A[Ă?nÓ½ :n ¨||nĂ? A ĂłAĂ?Â?nĂ?Ăś ¨| A[Ă?Â?ĂłÂ?Ă?Â?nĂ“ |¨Ă? A£Ü¨£n Ă´ÂŒÂ¨ ÂŒAĂ“ A Â˜Â¨Ăłn |¨Ă? άĂ?Ă“nĂ“ AÂŁe AÂŁÂ?žAÂ˜Ă“z :n ÂŒnÂ˜Âˇ A˜˜ nþ¡nĂ?Â?nÂŁ[n ˜nĂłnÂ˜Ă“ |Ă?¨ž QnƒÂ?ÂŁÂŁnĂ?Ă“ Ă?¨ AeĂłAÂŁ[ne Ă?Â?enĂ?Ó½